Fox's Kurse Redux
by Jack64
Summary: A lone hero; destitute and without a cause. An alien bounty hunter from another world. As war once more looms on the horizon for Lylat, can these two wayward warriors overcome their differences and stop it before it begins? (Redux of the original Story, will be made M later. A:N Details inside.)
1. Chapter 1

**x-x-x-x**

 **A/N: Hey all you FK fans, I'm sorry it's been a long time since I updated the original FK, but this is a redux that has needed to happen. A friend of mine read over a few chapters as well as those who reviewed in the past let me know the issues I was making but it really only hit home recently. With EA wrapping up, I plan to overhaul Fox's Kurse and give it the proper treatment it deserves. I know it seems like I'm promising a lot of reduxes, but then again, I am a complete amateur writer and with all the blunders in FK I made, I really want to get this story right for everyone to enjoy. There will be changes and large amounts of alterations. So it's not the exact same story as it was before. There will be familiar elements and certain locations but as you will see in this chapter. I've changed things quite a bit. So, read, review, and enjoy. I hope those of you who have stayed with FK will enjoy this new iteration more than the original.**

 **Thank you all and have fun! Star Fox is property of Nintendo.**

 **x-x-x-x**

Chapter 1

Drifter

Cigarette smoke, dim lights; quiet music; those were the things that greeted Fox as he walked through the door of No Man's Land Bar. A dingy place on a backwater world far from the hustle and bustle of "civilized" society. It was here Fox came to hide away from the system and swarming pests that had made his life a small personal hell. Fox's garb was not an unusual sight on Papetoon; he wore a tight-fitting skinsuit that held a self-contained water system for extended travel, a filtered mask that covered his snout and face to prevent sand from getting in. Within the helmet, itself were advanced optical sensors that allowed Fox to peer through the sandstorm as well as a regulator for the suit's internal temperature for cold nights and hot days. Truly a masterwork of Papetoonian ingenuity.

Outside, the sound of shrill wind and crashing lightning was ceaseless. It was likely that the maelstrom would last longer than the night. Fox's tail was lifeless and limp with eyes bloodshot from the lack of a good night's rest. The incessant events that plagued him were growing tiresome and threatened to break Fox if he couldn't put a stop to them.

With a mind buzzing more than thinking; Fox found a comfortable seat to the side of the room to quiet it with a drink. The booth was out of the way and with a clear sight on the front door and like much of the bar; toted wood that was faded and cracked. The place obviously having seen better days, yet Fox did not care. For now, the bar was his refuge.

The Auburn vulpine sat quietly in his seat as he contemplated his predicament before letting out an exhaustive sigh. Fox's tail thumped lightly against the pleather fabric as for the first time that day, he finally got to breathe and let his fur down. Afterward, Fox undid the latch that held the helmet in place and placed it upon the table with a gentle rustle of the articles fabric. Fox tilted his head over the back and arms lay across the cushions on either side as he tried to catch his breath and soothe the thoughts that were running at full speed.

It had happened again. Fox thought he would be safe on his homeworld as the planet was so far out on the fringes of the system; almost no one but miners, traders, and prospectors came out to the arid world. Well, them and the various riff-raff. Though they rarely caused trouble. Papetoon was a more controlled Macbeth. No Mafias, no rampant gang warfare. The Papetoonians made it clear to all outsiders, that it was their world. They had defied Andross and thrown his forces off the planet without the aid of Corneria which had sent a message loud and clear to everyone about their tenacity.

Upon his arrival, Fox's people were more than happy to welcome home their personal hero and after explaining his situation; the Papetoonian government issued him a new identity: Social ID number, a small apartment, new name; the works. They even went as far to offer him cosmetic surgery so he could blend in better, but Fox turned it down. He had deemed it unnecessary as the usual survival gear for Papetoonians did more than enough to conceal people's appearances. Or so he thought.

Fox shook his head several times in agitation. He wasn't there to dwell on that, he had come to the bar to drink and forget. A waitress came by a scant moment later; she was dressed in a long pair of jeans with a v-neck t-shirt that ran down far enough just to show off the ample wells of her chest. To Fox's increased agitation, the woman recognized him and she just so happened to be the same species as his on again, off again ex. A sandy brown furred Fennec, large ears and all, wide hips, thick lush thighs. She was just his type…

The vixen's hips sashayed exaggeratedly as she came to his table and locked eyes with her pretty little amber hues.

"Hey there flyboy, what can I get you." She purred sultrily to Fox; every bit of her body was displaying exactly what she really wanted. A chance with the famous Fox McCloud, no doubt to gloat to her girlfriends that she got in bed with the legend himself. Her ears were perked with interest, the way her button nose twitched and how her whiskers were upturned in curiosity. The thick signature vulpine tail just swaying with excitement at the possibilities. However, Fox returned no such indicators hoping that she would get the hint.

Fox grimaced at the thought of being used as a status symbol once again; but remembering his manners, the todd kept it civil.

"Papetoonian Whisky." He replied with as calm a voice he could muster. The vixen nodded and he caught sight of her name tag as she left. Naomi.

 _Either that's her "Work" name, or someone was rather vindictive to their kid._

The autumn red vulpine waited for his drink; to his surprise, the booze was swiftly delivered and Naomi bent over just far enough where should Fox want to, he could see right down into the heavy swells of her breasts.

Fox, of course, gave her nothing as he wanted none of it. Already burned out and adrift at the idea of any kind of companionship.

"Can I get you _anything_ else hotshot?"

Fox snorted at the nickname and the way she extended that words as if to imply he hadn't caught wind of her desires.

 _All the subtlety of a Venomian Battlecruiser._

"Some space." He replied sharply.

The vixen frowned as she was rebuffed, but he was a customer. Her hopes dashed and in a huff, turned about and walked off towards the main bar.

 _About time I got a little peace._

Drink after drink passed Fox's lips and as the burning liquid ran down his throat only to splash in his stomach where the warmth began to spread. His mind became hazy and with it, the mental barriers between memories and his consciousness broke down. Thoughts that he would rather have remained buried began to slowly file into his mind that went all the way back to where his woes began.

 **x-x-x-x**

Downtown Corneria City was a bustling metropolis before the wars, and after the wars, it only seemed to get busier. Between the refugees and resources that came in, it made Corneria grow at a near exponential rate, something that the government often had trouble keeping up with. It had been a bright day as he recalled. The sun was high in the sky and it's rays brilliantly bathing the entire city with its warmth. Falco, Slippy, and Peppy were with him. Falco off to his right, Slippy on his left and Peppy right behind them. Shops and corner store peddlers all tried to get the famous Star Fox team to come into their shop and spend well-earned money; along with no doubt boosting the shop's prestige with the presence of Lylats greatest mercenary team. The truth of the matter was, Falco dragged them downtown for his favorite street corner snack: Beef hot dogs. Apparently, the owner had survived the attack and set up shop once more, now stronger than ever with the Government subsidies pretty much paying for everything. Or more accurately, Phoenix Corp covering the government costs.

Things had been a bit rough on the team, jobs were becoming scarce and with the overhead for the Great Fox, as well as constantly having to upgrade and manage the team's finances; if something big didn't come through they would be broke in a few months. It was about a quarter of the way to their destination where things began to get sketchy.

Falco's feathers atop his head raised while his eyes honed in on something only he could see.

"Hey! I saw Katt!" Falco exclaimed. "Sorry guys, I gotta go!"

Fox blinked as the avian bolted off in search of Her Pinkness.

"Huh, didn't think Katt liked coming around Corneria… "Too Stuffy," Fox said with a scratch of his head.

"Eh, it's Falco, he's always after some ass, especially Katts." Peppy chuckled quietly.

"Ain't that the truth, so. What now?" Fox inquired as he turned to his other two teammates.

"Well, I need to swing by the docks and pick up a few shipments. I got a message earlier today that the hyper laser coils are ready! Weeks in advance no less! I can't wait to get them back to the ship and install them!" It was, of course, Slippy, their engineer and gearhead.

"Alright, well, guess I'll see you later Slip," Fox said with a chuckle. The frog bounced his head once and proceeded to run as fast as he could towards the docks district on those stubby legs.

"And you old timer?"

Peppy chuckled "I did want to check in on Vivian as a surprise if you don't mind that is Fox."

Who was he to deny his adoptive father spending time with his wife? "Sure thing Pep, go right ahead. I'll just wander around here for a bit. Also, check the work boards and see if anything new has come in."

"Boy, you need to go see Fara, seriously. All you do is work! I'm sure she's wondering where her dashing hero is." Peppy said with a cheeky smile.

Fox shook his head. "Work first, pleasure later Pep." Anything to get the old man off his case about his love life… or rather his stagnant one.

"Yeah, yeah, just like your father." Peppy teased before turning about and heading off towards the uptown district.

With his friends out of sight, Fox's shoulders slumped in a depressed fashion and leaned against a nearby brick wall and placed his palm over his face.

 _Keeping this act up is proving to be tiresome. They don't understand just how bad things are… better that way, if I can just find us a good job… maybe if I go talk to Fara…_

That was an idea he'd rather not do, the idea of begging his "Girlfriend" for work did not sit well with Fox's pride, nor did he want to give Fara the satisfaction.

 _Let's just check the bounty boards and see what we can find._

With a deep breath, Fox stood and shook himself and put on his trademark smile and calm demeanor. The one that so many of the paparazzi loved snapping photos of.

As his head lifted he swore for a split second he caught sight of something… blue like the sky and white like fresh snow. Not like a car or anything, but a fur pattern in the crowd before him. Dye jobs weren't uncommon, but for whatever reason, it stood out to him more than anything else. What followed was an ice cold chill that raced up his spine; it was the same sensation he experienced when his instincts warned him of imminent danger. Yet he saw no apparent threat, but that did not let Fox ease his guard. Sometimes threats came from directions he didn't expect. His eyes wandered the crowd and once again he caught a hint of blue with white as it flitted in and out of the throng.

 _Losing my mind, I'm seeing things._

The todd continued down the street to CDF HQ. It's where they held all the bounties and jobs for Mercenaries in the system. All one had to do was walk up, provide ID and the PIN for their mercenary license, and then press the job they wanted and just like that, it was theirs. At least for Fox, it was like that, his reputation alone would allow for immediate acceptance of any high-risk jobs.

It was about halfway there when he passed by a dumpster that a sharp tingle within the back of his mind; like someone had tried to smash him upside the head with a blunt instrument. The movement disoriented and made Fox roll out of sheer fight or flight response as if he were ducking some unseen blow. When the maneuver finished, Fox was propped up on his right knee and left foot flat on the ground with his blaster drawn at where he thought the source came from. Yet there was nothing. With an arched brow Fox scanned his surroundings, and when his eyes took in the empty alley, he deemed it safe and returned to the path that went towards the CDF HQ building not but a block away.

Yet Fox was unaware of a hunter's confused stare that followed him from the roof of a nearby building.

The CDF HQ in Fox's eyes was a giant figurative cock waving contest. It was tall, imposing, and tried to speak of authority. While it did serve as command and control for Corneria's military, its other function was less than conducive to defense. It was where all the armchair admirals and generals jerked each other off and threw around various acronyms and told the press how amazing their armed forces were. Corneria had been a joke militarily, the Lylat Wars had proven that one easily. He and his team had been the ones to save the system while thousands of Cornerians and their various allies died across who knew how many battlefields trying to stem the tide of Andross's madness. All the brass did was sign the paycheck at the end of the war. However, changes had been making their ways through the ranks along with technology. The unsavory act of using Androssian tech was a hotly debated topic. The problem was, the powers that be didn't see it that way, and while the people protested and talked, it ultimately led nowhere. On top of all that, new up and coming officers had learned the harsh lessons of war and were open to more... questionable lines of thinking than their predecessors. Double that with a politicial party that had exploded in popularity during the war, it was a recipe for disaster and Fox saw it coming from a mile away.

Rumors were plentiful and had been for years. Slowly but surely, Fox had been watching the greatest hope for Lylat become rotten from the inside out, including his own lover. Fox wanted to do something but ultimately found himself powerless and so, he continued life as usual. With a sigh, Fox made his way forwards to the giant edifice to Corneria's growing military industrial complex which these days, doubled as a political headquarters. Of which he did not approve, nor would his father.

The parade ground was pretty typical military fan fair, the globe with three stars and the red arch blazed across signifying Corneria and its allies in their federation. That very flag stood atop a large flagpole along with the ages-old Cornerian insignia from when the planet unified centuries ago. A singular globe with a dog's ferocious head superimposed in front of it with a knife between its jowls… Fox always wondered why they never changed it. For it hearkened back to the early days when Corneria was less than friendly to its neighbors and colonies.

It concerned him little though, his task was to find work for him and his team that paid well. The building proper was easy to get into with the scanner atop the door reading him easily and allowing him through with a hiss of an airlock cycling. Seconds later, he was in the lobby and a flash of his badge allowed him to head towards the mercenary wing where the work board waited for him.

What he found was not promising. Fox scrunched his eyes in agitation as he gazed over the board from top to bottom in an attempt to find anything that was well over two-hundred thousand credits. Anything less would not serve their needs.

Unfortunately, such jobs were becoming ever more scarce, with space becoming more secure every day and Cornerias military actually taking some lessons learned from the war; mercs weren't needed as much. A feeling of dejection settled into Fox, and with it in mind, he decided to make his way up to Peppers office and have a chat, see if the old hound had anything for him.

A sudden jump in memory had Fox traveling down that very same alley, only this time with a defeated and very agitated look on his features.

Fox had not noticed the hunter before, nor did he now. The only warning Fox got was that internal alarm and the whistling of fabric on the wind which pushed him into a combat stance and once more rolled along the ground until he was in the same stance as before. Only his vision this time was greeted by a slam and crumbling of asphalt with dust and debris being thrown high into the air.

The situation was not a good one, if he was under attack, he had two options, backward and forwards. One would take him to HQ, but that would mean getting past his assailant; the other would take him into a civilian populated area…Neither one had a great appeal.

The dust was taking an awfully long time to settle and before he could even squeeze a shot off a fully armored assailant was in his face swinging a stun baton that crackled with an arc of electrical energy. The baton hummed threateningly as they swung it back and forth trying to land a hit that would disable him. Of course, Fox wasn't a renowned hero for nothing; his reflexes allowed him to nimbly dodge his attacker with each swing. The issue being on the defensive and their movement were taking them towards civilians.

Fox remembered clearly his attacker even in his drunken state back in reality; how lithe and agile they were. The movements were almost fluid with how they blended together… almost like a dance. Were it not for the threat to his life it would have, and still be almost enchanting.

Back in No Man's Land, the door was thrown open and a decent sized crowd of similarly clothed individuals came in and began taking various seats around the bar, masks were removed and drinks were ordered. Fox was at his fifth… or was it sixth whiskey at that stage, possibly eight? He'd lost count.

 _Where was I? Oh right, the crazy bounty hunter._

The fight had gone on for only a short bit before the hunter disengaged and vanished as they had never existed in the first place.

It was not the last time he would encounter his pursuer.

Fox's head lay on the tarnished table with quite a few empty shot glasses, binging with Falco had given him a cast iron liver and stomach. The Auburn todd was pleasantly drunk and more than happy to forget things for a while. All his thoughts were a jumble, but somewhere in the back of his head, that damned… no, it wasn't cold this time… it was warm, almost pleasant and welcoming. Fox shook his head as he grumbled to himself until a very familiar foreign accent graced his ears though someone muffled by the same mask he had worn earlier.

"Perhaps you should not think of bars until you're out of my reach, Fox."

 _Fuck._

"Ah damnit… can't we take a day off? Just this once? Let me have some quiet for one day." Fox muttered as he ordered another whiskey which was hastily delivered by the off-put Fennec from earlier, staring at his company with no small amount of jealousy as she noticed the feminine curves and ample chest that accompanied them. Whoever it was, they were a vulpine judging from the tail length that was also covered.

Fox didn't even make eye contact with the newcomer but spoke to them like an old rival.

The females rebuttal was one laced with a modicum of seriousness, but a small tinge of mirth lay beneath it. As if she were amused at the heroic Fox's current condition. "'Fraid not Fox, you know this is my job. Now, are we going to dance again; or are you just going to give up given your… current inebriation."

Fox's voice oozed anger at his happy hour being disturbed and looked up to Naomi. "Triple espresso shot… none of that watered down shit either." He muttered and looked up at the similarly garbed individual.

"You want anything?"

There was a distinct pause and Fox swore he caught the faintest hint of a laugh or giggle.

"I'll take a coffee I suppose. Black, no sugar."

Fox smirked at the corners of his mouth. "Something something, black like your heart."

"Hardly black, you almost got a good look at it back on Sauria."

 _Sauria…_

Fox was not left with much time to think as the stranger took a seat, the female in question eyed him as her mask came away and revealed her foreign features. The first noticeable aspect was her long hair that cascaded down her shoulders almost like a waterfall, her blue triangular ears perked atop her head indicated a vulpine species. White tufts of fur lined the insides and as the mask fell away it revealed her facial features which toted the same fur on the insides of her ears that faded away to blue. Every time he saw her face; her fur looked plush, soft; inviting. Fox had a hard time denying that she was quite possibly the most beautiful female he had ever seen… that or it was his dick talking. He never was quite sure. However, one thing he was sure of was how gorgeous those stark Aquamarine eyes of her were, brilliant intense pools filled with emotions Fox was all too familiar with during the wars. A blazing hatred in them for someone who had wronged her; the thirst for all-out bloodshed and revenge; a stoic controlled being who simultaneously was a broken soul. An epic contradiction, something Fox had personal experience with.

Everyone in the room knew immediately who and what she was: Cerinian.

Fox's ears easily picked up mutterings and whispers of fear and worry of what she could do. Papetoon wasn't that unwelcoming to outsiders; if anything, they were more tolerant than Corneria by a mile. But even Papetoonians were wary of Cerinians and their strange ethereal ways and rumored powers.

Two mugs of what could pass for coffee from the dingy bar were placed before the pair. The vixen turned about and left in a huff as the cerulean vulpine smirked.

"Blew her off did you?"

Fox snorted. "Do I look like some sort of man-slut?"

His company rolled her shoulders in a rough shrug. "Dunno, a man like you could have any woman he wanted."

Fox snorted as he downed the hot coffee as quickly as he could so the caffeine would at least alleviate him of his inebriation.

"Yea, well… I'm not like that."

"Perhaps I had you pegged wrong Fox." Replied his azure companion.

"Yea maybe… so, how do you want to do this? Blasters? Hand to hand?" Fox was not in the mood for another fight, but he' be damned if he just gave up and placed himself in the vixens keeping. Their talk wasn't even subtle.

"How about neither?" Came another voice as several of the individuals who came in earlier stood up and soon more joined them. Each of them brandishing rather savage looking blasters.

"Oh for fuck sakes…" Fox uttered.

His companion did not even hesitate as she saw Fox rise and his blaster came from within its holster. She kicked the table over before he even thought about it and provided cover for them both as the vixen drew her own pistols, though they were not blasters. Instead, they were old slug throwers, semi-automatics in an old caliber that was rarely if ever seen in Lylat. Their blued metal shone softly in the dim light which was followed the distinct sound of two crashing akimbo shots echoed off the walls and tore through the air hitting one of the would-be bounty hunters square in his chest plate; penetrating through the armor and the soft innards behind it. The male in question fell over with a thud before his cohorts.

Fox and the Cerinian ducked down behind the tables as blaster fire erupted and pinged off the shielded metal.

To her shock, Fox was grinning. "Hah! The Barkeep put blaster resistant coating on em! Smart!"

"You seem to be enjoying this Fox!" The vixen shot back.

"For once we're not trying to kill each other!" He replied and stood up to take two shots that even on his worst day could make blindfolded. Sadly, the armor of his opponents absorbed most of the impact but did enough to make them seek cover.

"You should really use one of my guns Fox, your Lylatian armor doesn't stand up against them!"

"Slugthrowers are incredibly barbaric!" The todd said with a grin.

The vixen rolled her eyes as she uttered words in a foreign tongue that Fox could not understand. Ruhruhas m0 ujj! Tumdot xoutjkhedw Lylatians! Clearly, she was exasperated by his words and the situation.

"In common please!" Fox retorted.

"I said you're a headstrong idiot!"

"What else is new!" The todd shouted as he squeezed off several shots over the table. "Damnit! That's some good armor, whoever these guys are; they're well equipped."

"Offers still on the table."

Fox let a wide grin cover his features before he sat back down as more blaster bolts pinged off the table. "Nah, I got this… when in doubt, just up the ante."

The azure vixen shook her head as she closed her eyes and tuned into the surroundings around her. She picked out the enemies one by one; their auras showing their hostile intent and easily perceived even through walls and furniture. There were still seven of them left, not counting the one she took down on the opening salvo.

Four of their assailants were clustered together behind a large booth and firing their blasters over it to keep herself and Fox pinned while three more were pushing up in a delta formation trying to put pressure on them.

 _Smart, these aren't your normal guns for hire. Though those four need a lesson on spacing._

"Fox, do you have a grenade?"

"Eh? No, I got something just as good though."

The vixen opened her eyes with a curiosity as to just what Fox was going to do.

"Cover me!"

The vixen did so without hesitation. She sensed Fox's intent to go for the clustered group, apparently, he had caught sight of them with his keen eyes. With a mighty bellow of her people's language the vixen came up and around and fired off six rounds. The brilliant muzzle flash filled the low light bar as did the crash of powder discharge. Two rounds each for the three flankers which fell over in a heap one after another; and just according to plan, she drew the groups fire. Their weapons, however, proved to be ineffective as she crouched low and spread her arms out. A powerful sea-green shield surrounded her while chanting in that strange alien language of hers. Green, blue, and red bolts bounced or were totally absorbed into the shield.

With the four men distracted and three more down, Fox took the opportunity to overcharge his blaster pistol and crested the lip on the table. The heavy barrel glowed with a menacing bright emerald hue as Fox aimed and ever so gingerly squeezed the trigger to discharge the shot.

A brilliant sphere flew forward from the barrel and before the four men could scramble it smacked the centermost one in the chest and overloaded his armor in an overwhelming sphere of energy. The male died instantly from the impact and the others swiftly suffered the same fate as the blast spread out and caught all four in a singular explosion that destroyed their cover, and flash fried each of them instantly.

Just as quickly as the battle began, it was over. Eight dead bounty hunters now lay in various positions around the bar with the mysterious alien vixen and The Hero of Lylat triumphant.

Fox bore a pleased smile at their work, his head lifted up to turn and gaze at the vixen only to be greeted with a heavy metal end of a staff that cracked him in the stomach followed by a blow to the head that knocked him unconscious and down to the floor like a sack of bricks.

The cerulean vixen stared down at her prey with a cold harsh gaze as her chest heaved with the exhilaration of a battle fought and won.

"Finally got you." She muttered and cuffed the todd before her right paw grabbed Fox by his scruff and slipped the mask on to protect him from the elements outside. She then proceeded to press a button on her wrist to call in her ship which landed outside seconds later. The Cerinian dragged Fox out of the bar and tossed him aboard bound and trussed up like a festive meal. The ships engines roared over the storm as the small craft took off at supercruise in scant seconds before breaching atmosphere in record time. Those powerful blue engines faded from view on the surface as the ship dove into the black glittering seas of open space.


	2. Chapter 2

**x-x-x-x**

 **Happy holidays folks! This will likely be my last update for the rest of this year, I am working on EA's next chapter, so no worries, also. I will be starting school in January as of the 14th so my update schedule may be longer than usual. I will still continue to write but I don't want people thinking I've given up or stopped. It just maybe longer breaks between chapters. Anywho, new chapter of FK! Enjoy!**

 **x-x-x-x**

Chapter 2

Captive

Stale recycled air rushed into Fox's nose and the taste of wet cloth filled his mouth. The bite of ropes constricting his wrists and ankles which caused no small amount of discomfort. He could not move, barely even twitch a muscle. His brain told him that his eyes were open yet Fox could see nothing but the pitch black of something covering his eyes. Each time Fox moved the ropes would rub roughly against his skin. If he kept that up the skin would get raw and maybe even start to scrape away.

 _Okay… Okay… Focus, we're in the shit and need to find out as much info as we can._

The two appendages that had not been locked down were often the most overlooked. His sharp ears and potent nose. Fox decided to use his auditory and olfactory senses first. Fox had already been informed by his nose that he was somewhere that was sealed up tight; the air was a good indicator. Yet now as his mind focused he picked up other scents. Various chemicals that stung his nose and caused it to recoil at how much they offended his senses. The next one he picked out of the bunch was the scent of foodstuffs… probably dehydrated if he had to go by how potent the smell was, to begin with. His mind started to paint an image of the room as he tracked each scent to where it was located, the room itself was small, square and meant to allow for enough space for perhaps a few weeks worth of rations, perhaps even a month.

With each passing moment, Fox was getting a better layout of the place he was in. Next, he turned to his ears which lifted off his head as they began to scan the surrounding environment. The first thing Fox caught with them was the gentle hum of a ship's propulsion. Specifically a plasma drive.

 _I'm on a ship... Damnit. Must be her's._

Fox's thoughts of escape were dying before they already began. With him bound and gagged, getting out would be hard as it is. Then there would be the issue of beating his captor and getting the ship to work for him. Fox knew that any pilot worth their salt would have a myriad of securities in place to ensure their craft could not be taken over.

 _Well, I always knew she was good; just didn't think she'd get me._

"That's because of your ego Fox."

Immediately Fox's ears twitched in the direction from which the voice originated. He could pick up the sound of an automatic door opening and closing but was unable to determine it's orientation due to the acoustics.

 _Smart…_

"I can hear your thoughts, Fox," Came her voice again.

Fox's eyes rolled beneath the blind, as would his shoulders if he weren't restrained.

 _Well, I can't talk cause you got me bound up like some of those freaky gimps in Cornerias red light district._

If there was any amusement that the vixen took from his predicament, she did not show it. His Cerinian hunter was good at that. Stone cold and devoid of any telling emotions.

Slowly her boots thumped off the metal until he could feel the warmth of her body standing right in front of him. Her scent distinct against the artificial backdrop. Rich, clean, floral. Despite her cold exterior, Fox knew she took care of herself from their various encounters. From her fit body right down to the scent of her shampoo and conditioner. His tail twitched subconsciously at the thought of her so close, so very near. Yet, those ideas were swiftly interrupted by her charming voice.

"If I take the gag and the blind off, you promise to be a good boy?" The tone she took with him rubbed him in all the wrong ways. Condescending, arrogant. Fox did not appreciate such an attitude.

 _She's earned it though…_ he thought bitterly.

He could practically see the smug look upon her snout.

"Damn right I did Fox. I chased your tail all over Lylat, but I finally got you. Now, do you promise to be good?"

 _Yeah, yeah, I promise to be a good little fuck stick with goody gumdrops and everything._ He retorted sarcastically.

A Sharp cuff upside his head was her answer.

"It's not wise to disrespect your betters Fox. Especially one who holds your life in her paws." She snapped.

 _By the creator, I thought Wolf was bad with the ego, but you're just as bad! If not worse!_

The vixen snorted derisively. "Perhaps if you Lylatians weren't so pitiful; I might have more respect."

 _Andross said the same thing about me right before I killed him._

"And I am not Andross." She replied. "I do not have a god complex. I know where I stand and where Lylatians stand. Even their greatest hero could not escape me." She gloated over Fox with satisfaction clear upon her voice. Fox desperately wanted to break free and smack that smug grin off her face. Alas, he was restrained.

"Anyways. I came to tell you I'm stuck with you for a while. My employer thinks things are too hot for me to drop you off. And since you're being an ass; I'll let you cool your jets here for a bit flyboy." She finished and returned from the direction in which she came. Fox's ears picked up every boot step until she stepped out through the doorway.

Fox wanted to scream in rage at his situation. How insufferable she could be. A string of curses filled his mind and Fox hoped that his captor heard every single one.

Ascending the stairs from her cargo hold, the vixen was slammed by a sudden wall of powerful animosity that mingled with outright humiliation. However, there was another emotion she detected that was not something the vixen ever counted on feeling from Fox.

 _Betrayal._

The confusion which she felt was immense. Why would Fox feel such a thing towards her? They were on opposite sides of the law and he was her target. Her brows knitted together as a temptation to go back inside and converse with her prey reared its head. A shallow breath came from her nose as the vixen centered her thoughts and continued up the stairs.

 _He is a mark. That's it. Besides, bigger problems now. I need to find a safe house for me to hide in. I Wonder if my handler might know anything._

Fox in the meantime, was currently taking stock of his situation. His wrists ached from the rope biting into his skin and the gag in his mouth was making his jaw seize.

 _Gotta get free…_

He initially tried wriggling his wrists to see if there was any sign of slack; no dice. He then tried to wiggle the chair and oddly found it bolted into the floor and would not budge.

 _Damnit. Okay, okay. Think. There's gotta be a way out of this; there always is._

Fox twitched his wrists and balled his paws up. The tod was doing his best to try and shimmy free even if it would rub his skin raw. The alternative to bleeding and scraping that off was likely death or who knows what else. Fox was not about to stick around and find out.

 _C'mon, gotta escape!_

Fox's sharp mind honed in as it pictured the ropes, his foot paws and grips wriggling and pulling at the taught fabric around his extremities and pulled at each one. The auburn vulpine strained himself in desperation until finally; as if someone had tugged at the knot that held them together went slack and fell away.

 _The hell?_

He didn't know what to think nor did he dwell on it for more than a nanosecond as there were far more important things at hand. Escape being at the top of his list. His first act with newfound freedom was to pull the gag off and remove the blind. The cloth came away easily enough and Fox began to move around his sore jaw while hurriedly removing the blind proved to be a rookie mistake.

Bright jarring light hit his irises like a hammer blow and filled his mind with sharp stinging pain.

 _Son of a bitch!_

A moment would pass as Fox's vision adjusted and he finally managed to see without feeling a thousand needles stabbing his eyes. It was most certainly a cargo bay. The boxes of food, cleaning materials, and crates of other miscellaneous items lay about the hold told him everything.

 _Well, hoped too much for her to be rookie enough to leave weapons in the cargo hold. Just have to hope I can find her armory or… the least likeable scenario, get the drop on her… Yeah. Get the drop on a freakin' telepath. That'll be easy._

With no other options left to him, Fox made his way over the closed door which upon detecting movement slid open. The faint hiss of the door was not loud enough to carry much to Fox's relief. The tod was now free and able to move around the ship, all he needed to do was either find an escape pod or as he planned, ambush her.

 _No time like the present._

Fox moved slowly up the stairs that led up into the ship proper. The hatch leading to the hold was still open much to his surprise. Quietly, he moved up the stairs so his ears could pick up any sounds that might be coming his way. Instead of bootsteps, he picked up Kursed's trademark accent. It was muffled, but she was definitely communicating with someone.

The ship he was on was foreign and certainly not of any Cornerian design he knew. The vessel wasn't as geometric or boxy… no, this was far sleeker, elegant almost. Fox almost wished he could see it's construction from the outside, but for now; he had far more important matters to attend to.

Whatever craft he was on, it wasn't large. He could see the fuselage heading into the back towards a ramp that let down, some crates on either side and then the front of the ship with a couple rooms off to either side and from what he could hear coming from the foredeck, was the cockpit.

 _Which means the front of her ship is probably the escape pod...Damnit. Well… plan B_

Fox crouched low near the door and waited for the conversation to end. Luckily; he did not have to wait long and the moment the comms went silent. Fox heard the vixen say her goodbye and then moved to the door which slid open for him. The tod bolted inside and raised his fist hoping to go for a knockout punch.

To her credit, and Fox's detriment; Kursed was not wholly caught unawares. The moment the door slid open she knew something was wrong. The Cerinian vixen was out of her seat in the blink of an eye and came around to be greeted by a very perturbed Fox McCloud. His auburn fist soaring at her at blinding speeds which she narrowly managed to evade at the last second by ducking her head to the right.

The Papetoonian however, did not let up and followed it with his other fist. The cramped conditions of the bridge did not allow for quick footwork or any of her Cerinian training… No, this would be an old-school upfront brawl. Raw skill and strength would win the day. Which was a problem, while she was fit; Fox had raw muscle power on his side.

Another swing of his fist whistled past her head and finally, Kursed found a window of opportunity to move. She crouched low onto one knee and kicked out with her right leg in an attempt to take out his knee. To which Fox quickly lifted his legs in response; which was all the time Kursed needed to follow up and catch him in the side. The sheer force of the impact sent him sprawling down onto the floor like a sack of potatoes and caused his head to bounce harshly off the metal deck plate.

Dazed and stunned, Fox felt a sudden weight press down on him and a gun pressed to his face. Without hesitation, he threw his right paw up and swiftly knocked the gun away which caused Kursed's finger to jerk the trigger. A crash of gunfire echoed around the cockpit as a round discharged inside the enclosed space. Both sets of vulpine ears rang with a sharp piercing whine as the tinnitus reverberated deep inside their skulls. On the bright side; the round only buried itself in the deck plate as opposed to a ricochet.

Both fox's struggled to orientate themselves towards their opponent. Fox was the first to gain some semblance of direction and saw Kursed's grip on the firearm. His arm lashed out and smashed into her wrist as hard as he could and caused the vixen to cry out as bone cracked and broke under the sheer force. Ultimately Fox rendered Kursed's hand limp and useless, giving him enough time to grab the pistol and smoothly flow into a kick that bowled the vixen over. With the pistol in hand, Fox stood and took aim. His finger lay on the trigger ready to squeeze and eyes lined down the sight. At this range, it would be almost impossible to miss. Fox bore his teeth and bade himself to squeeze the trigger… twice he screamed at himself to end her and put a finish to their rivalry. Yet he could not bring himself to do it. His mind flashed back to Sauria and what little he had learned of her. The vixen before him was orphaned at a young age, no family, no loved ones. It was a tale that he was personally familiar with, one that he wished no soul in the galaxy would experience. In Kursed, he saw part of himself and the idea that he would harm the vixen who had suffered as he did caused Fox to stall his actions.

Fox's hesitation would come at a price. A pair of enraged eyes gazed up at him, glowing brightly in the dimly lit cockpit. The azure vixens irises became solid, emanating energy from the sides as her still functioning left hand shot up and the gun was suddenly ripped from his paws and flew across the room.

 _What the fu-_

Fox never got to finish his thought as he was slammed into the computers behind them. His back shuddered with the bite of metal and glass piercing his skin that sent alarms off deep within his mind. To further his concern, Fox felt blood explode in his mouth from the sheer force as several ribs broke. Pain wracked him to his very core while glass rained around him and sparks fluttered about his form as he came to rest against the ground. Fox's chest heaved in agony with the distinct feeling of something stabbing him in his chest.

 _Shit… punctured lung…_ His airway would clog with blood and the air in his chest would cause his lungs to collapse if he didn't get medical attention. However, that was the least of his worries as glass crunched beneath booted feet. A shadow eclipsed his form and over him stood Kursed, gun pointed down at his forehead and ready to put an end to him. Her face plainly written with rage, it was evident she would not tolerate him any longer. Fox gazed up at Kursed with a heavy wheeze from his chest, and did the least likely thing his Cerinian hunter would expect… he smiled.

 _Game… over..._

It was not a demeaning or insincere smile, it was one meant to comfort and reassure her. To tell her that she had won and he accepted his fate. Normally Fox would not be so quick to give in, but with his lungs filling with blood, and clearly in a hopeless situation. To die at her hands, well; it felt to him as a sort of honor. Their game of cat and mouse was coming to a close and he'd lost. It was the way of things.

As best he could, Fox leaned up and pressed his forehead to the gun barrel, eyes closed as he muttered two words.

"Do it."

Kursed blanched. The idea that Fox would say it so simply, so calmly. To embrace the void that awaited him on the other side. Even as pain raced up her right arm from the shattered wrist and limp fingers. Her eyes slowly faded back to normal as the tods demeanor ripped her from her rage induced state. It was the last place she expected to be, Fox on his knees in front of her and bleeding from the mouth with his back covered in glass… smiling.

A wet wheezing cough tore Kursed from her thoughts as she heard the wet splash of blood on the deck plating.

 _Internal bleeding…_

A busted jaw or anything like that wouldn't give that amount of blood, which meant she had hurt him in such a fashion that Fox was on borrowed time… and he knew it.

Unless I save him… _just like he did for me back on Sauria… I never asked him, why did he do that?_

Another soaked cough followed as he growled out. "What are you waiting for? End it!" He pleaded. Kursed could not begin to fathom what was going on in Fox's head. Did he want to die? Was this his final wish? That she be the one to claim the kill and put an end to their dance? Whatever her employer had in store for him, Fox probably knew it would not end quickly.

 _So then… this is it?_

Her chest rose and fell with the excitement battle brought as adrenaline flowed through her veins.

"One question…" She said coldly.

Fox gazed up at her in disbelief, only to shake his head and spat out a mouthful of blood. He hacked up another lungful in an attempt to keep his airway clear, though the pain from air filling his chest was becoming great and causing him further anguish in attempts to breathe.

"Make it quick." Came his strained voice.

"Why did you save me on Sauria?" She replied.

 _Of all the things she had to ask…_

The burning sensation in his chest from the shattered ribs and pierced lung were proving to be torture, yet he had endured such wounds before… just usually in a hospital bed. Not to mention it often lacked the presence of a pissed off Cerinian standing over him with a loaded slug thrower.

Fox thought on it as much as he could with the pain coursing through him. His body burned and ached with what felt like stinging nettles on his back. Fox wretched several times to clear his throat of the iron tasting liquid. His head hung low and gazed over Kursed's feet in the ever-growing pool of crimson. There was no rhyme or reason; at the time Fox had felt compelled to save Kursed when she had been gravely wounded. This strange alien vixen who had been chasing him all up and down Lylat, now held his life in her paws, just as he did those months ago. He only had one answer for her.

"I… I don't know…" He whispered quietly.

Kursed did not find that answer acceptable and promptly planted her boot in his stomach. "Bullshit, why did you save me!" It wasn't that she was ungrateful, but it put her in a debt she didn't care much for at that point in time. The chilling ethereal vixen thought there was still time to repay it. Unfortunately, that time was now. While she didn't like inflicting pain on the male before her, she felt the need to instill in Fox that she would not tolerate his attempt at escape.

"I don't know!" Fox yelled in earnest, unsure of what Kursed wanted. His chest heaved with another violent discharge while clutching his stomach. The auburn furred tod turned his head to look at her, bleary-eyed and vision slowly fading from the loss of vital fluid in his chest. Fox's ears pricked up at the sound of frustrated growl and a paw upon his head followed by a sensation of bone-chilling cold rushing through his body. At that moment, all his pain ceased to exist. Fox lost all internal and external sense with his head on the floor and the room turned pitch black as consciousness failed him.

A ruffle of clothing and the soft thump of weight hitting the ground was all that filled the sound of the cockpit. Kursed's gaze took in the sight of Fox's limp form. It was an old power she used that was not supposed to be enacted in such a manner. But, considering Fox was in dire straights and any attempt at moving him would only increase the damage she had done. Given the circumstances, she had little choice. With Fox unconscious, it would be easier to move him. Kursed's eyes trailed up to the console she had thrown the vulpine into. A neat imprint of Fox's body lay in the console from the sheer force of the impact.

The Cerinian vixen flinched at the pain he must have endured, the feeling of metal bending and breaking, circuits discharging and glass burying itself into his back. The vixen knew she had little time to waste. A quick chant and her wrist was right as rain as if it had never been broken in the first place.

With her body in full working condition, Kursed picked Fox up none too gently as time was not on her side. Blood would be welling up in his lungs and leaking out into other parts of the body. That would combine with the air leaking out into the chest and cause his other lung to collapse and choking him to death. Extracting the air would be the first priority, and to do so would require the use of the small medbay her ship had built into it. Fox's legs were dangling over her left arm while his chest was propped up by her right in an attempt to keep his head upright and the blood from flowing upwards. She had to be mindful of the glass shards in his back lest she compounded the issue.

The vixen carried him further into the small craft and arrived at the tiny medbay that was across from her room. The bed was already flipped out and Kursed lay Fox on his back far more gently than she picked him up. She knew the glass would sink in further but for now, Kursed needed Fox that way. In her medical kit was a tiny device no larger than a pen that would go in through the chest, past the ribs and work as a release to bring down the pressure. That would allow Fox to breathe and while it wouldn't stop the bleeding; it would buy time. She had tricks up her sleeves that would save Fox but needed to make sure everything was out of the way before acting.

Kursed took a deep apprehensive breath as she gripped a pair of scissors from her surgeons kit. Those same scissors were used to cut open Fox's shirt and expose his chest. She took the split cloth and slowly peeled it off to either side and picked up the needle-like item within her free paw. Her eyes slowly drank in his muscled frame, and it was not the stellar physical condition that caught her attention. Instead, it was the scars that lay just concealed beneath his fur coat. Fox was scarred and battered from his service to the system, a truly decorated veteran of his era. The fact he had survived so much pain was astounding, more and more Kursed wanted to learn more about Fox beyond the bounty and his public record.

Kursed shook those thoughts from her mind could and lay her head down to cup an ear to his chest. She was trying to find the closest spot to the open wound and soon could hear the sucking sound of a punctured lung and the wheezing it caused. With the strained breathing Fox was making, it left little doubt that it was causing a tension wound.

With the source located, Kursed aimed the needle tip towards his chest and moved a tuft of fur aside so she could begin to push the end down and in. Inch by inch it passed through Fox's flesh until finally, it reached the necessary depth. The little blue piece of plastic held a valve which she gently turned and was signaled by a rush of air. Slowly, Fox's breathing began to even out with a sharp gasp. Kursed's ears once more tuned in to listen and was satisfied when she heard no wheezing, though there was still the issue of blood.

Next; she rolled Fox onto his side so the glass would stop digging into his back, once more with the scissors she cut his shirt open and stripped it off in entirety.

The Cerinian vixen winced at the amount of glass that was lodged within him. Dark trails of crimson had stained the fur coat. To her credit, Kursed did not hesitate and procured her pliers and carefully began to remove each piece individually. Little tings of glass on a metal plate filled the bay as Kursed worked diligently to save Fox. Her hands were steady but even she was nervous with the clock ticking down. Occasionally she would slap the back of Fox's shoulders to get him to empty his throat so as not to choke out. Until finally with a sigh, she extracted the last bit of glass. Kursed quickly bandaged over the wounds after cleaning them. She would apply any other necessary treatment later; for now, the biggest concern was his chest cavity that was being filled from the punctured lung.

A small device was pulled up alongside the operating bed with a hose attached to a narrow pointed end, similar to a needle but broad enough that it would extract any additional fluids inside Fox's chest. After that, he would be safe for her to enact the final step in treatment. With a sharp press into the side of Fox's chest, Kursed got it into the perfect position with almost practiced ease. The azure vixen found herself reflecting on how it was far easier to do it on someone else. The machine turned on with a press of a button and began to pump the excess blood out with a soft rhythmic humm. Kursed uttered a deep sigh as her rear was planted into her chair, leaning back into it with her eyes closed and head aimed at the ceiling.

 _What a day._

Several minutes would pass in silence except for the audible sound of the pump. Fox's internal wound was not healed and thus she would have to escalate things a bit. Kursed cleared her mind and centered herself as she stood and moved over to the comatose Fox. Her fingers delicately trace over Fox's chest as she explored the damage done to him, already the skin was turning purple from bruising and internal hemorrhaging. The vixen winced at the number she did to him; it had all been in a heat of the moment. Rarely did she ever use her psionics offensively. Kursed knew full well how easily one could kill by thinking about it. Almost as simple as pulling the trigger on her guns. "Alright… Focus." She whispered to no one and placed both her paws on Fox's abdomen and his chest. Her eyes closed once more with a gentle chant upon her lips.

 _Just like mom taught you… keep control, don't wander; breathe in and out. You are one with the patient._

Kursed would have to face the repercussions of her actions later, no doubt. But for now, she would repay her debt to Fox and save his life… even though she was the cause of all the pain he now experienced. It was a paradox, a cycle between them.

 _Easy now…_

Kursed's mind keyed into the biorhythm of her patient, his breathing, the flow of blood in his veins. It was like a song to her; a symphony of natural harmonics of a body in motion. The heart pumping, the rhythm of life. Her mind began to map out every inch of his internal being and soon found the areas that were in most distress. Each one showed up like a blaring trumpet of deep purple that bordered on crimson.

 _Several broken ribs, one is jutting into his right lung. Need to heal that quickly to stop the flow of blood._

That very same flow left a trail that led right to the pump which was keeping Fox alive and preventing his chest from overflowing.

 _Focus…_

The small ad-hoc medbay began to glow dimly with turquoise light as the temperature dropped several degrees. When her eyes opened, Kursed could see the air before her nose as she breathed.

 _Gotta be quick…_

Her procedure would not be the cleanest, but it would do what she needed to. Her own energies began to scour through Fox; eradicating years of substance of abuse and restoring more than a few decades to his life. The disgust she experienced from feeling such foul taint made her want to wretch but was quickly suppressed. Fox's entire body was soon bathed in that same otherworldly glow as Kursed tended to him.

The sound of bone and sinew knitting back together audibly made Kursed grit her teeth, as not only could she hear it, but feel it. It was no simple thing possessing the powers of a healer… many would often feel what their patient felt and her talent being a rare one; such things were treasured even in their rawest form. Her back began to tingle as she felt Fox's wounds knit back together so perfectly as if they had never existed in the first place; overall the condition of her patient improved, but there was one last stepping stone to pulling him to safety.

The last point was the most dangerous and care was needed. The chance was high that she could rupture that lung and undo every piece of work she had done up until that point. The problem was that Kursed could feel her energy being consumed at a rapid pace, leaving precious time to spare.

As though she were plucking a splinter; Kursed used her extension of self and carefully like a surgeon's tool, extracted the bone from Fox's lung and moved it slowly until it was in its original place. With a final surge of power that emptied her last reserves, she knit the bone back together neatly. That haunting light that bathed the room dissipated and Kursed was sent tumbling to the floor from exhaustion.

 _T-too long since I used that much energy, not used it to it._

Her weary eyes looked to the pump from earlier and seeing no fluid coming forth, she smiled. Kursed had succeeded and a great swath of relief flowed through her. She quietly turned off the pump and extracted the hose carefully, being mindful not to harm Fox further. Afterward, the cerulean vixen applied a bandage to the wound after a quick, albeit sloppy; application of disinfectant.

Kursed felt well beyond spent as her weary body had been pushed to the limit with that stunt. Her actions combined with throwing Fox around like that had used up quite a bit of power and needed to rest. She couldn't go far though, with her charge still potentially in danger, Kursed propped herself up against a nearby wall in the chair and promptly fell asleep.

For the longest time silence reigned in the medbay before the vixens eye's opened. However, her eyes did not take in the sterile environment of her ship. Instead, she lay at the base of a Keelan Tree: the grass beneath her fur felt exquisite; a comforting rush of wind through her fur as a blue sun warmed her fur and body with its tender rays. The sweet sound of birdsong combined with the busy town below filled Kursed with glee as she lay back against the tree and sighed with a contently. The gentle vixen curled up with her staff weapon and held onto it with a death grip as if it were her nearest and dearest friend.

"Just a bad dream… all of it." She hummed as her aquamarine eyes took in her form, a bronze bralette, white and gold embroidered loincloth and of course her shoulder, wrist and, ankle guards that offered little in terms of protection, but more than plenty to be considered modest in the more traditional areas of Cerinia. Not a single scar marred her youthful frame. Joy sprang through her and Kursed's features reflected that joy with a beaming smile. Her passionate and warm aquamarine hues trailed over the Amdragen Valley, her home. A simple town compared to many areas of Cerinia. There were no sprawling skylines or spaceports, just wooden and brick buildings with modern construction and conveniences mixed in.

 _Home…_ Kursed began bounding down the side of the hill as the knee-high bluegrass tickled her in such delightful ways. She passed all manner of people she recognized, farmers, bakers, traders, artisans. All came to Amdragen to trade in their wears and various goods. Even politicians would visit to see what the region needed to keep production up. Of course, they also came to endear themselves to the largest clan in the region. The Cardinal Sun. Kursed's clan was among the wealthiest due to their advances in agriculture and even excavation of precious minerals. Many of those minerals were used to enhance Psionic properties and their trademark weaponry. It was a point of pride for the Cardinal Sun that a bunch of farmers, miners, and Warrior Caste veterans had risen so high in global standing. Though, not without much adversity. Their rise to prominence left the nobility less than enthused and often attempted to swindle or outright deceive the clan.

Such thoughts though, were far from the vixens mind as Kursed was joyous to be home, thinking it all a dream… sadly, it was not the case..The air around her village was tense. It was as if a tightrope were waiting to snap, all it would need is one pull and all would begin to unravel. That very pull came in the form of an eerie wailing that chilled right down to the bone and felt as though ice cold water had doused her heart. It was a sound that every soldier wished to never hear.

The call carried over the mountains and hills, over the vast forest and signaled only one thing. Invasion. The Cardinal Sun's lookouts had spotted hostiles and had gotten a warning off in time to alert the rest of their people. Without any indecision, every citizen rushed for the nearby armory to pick up weapons and combat armor. Kursed included. All Cerinian citizens were required by the state to register as part of the planetary militia. Kursed knew what she had to do as she knew this day, and knew it well. The M'ntreas Clan from the north had come.

Their transports and combat craft began to fill the skies followed shortly by the crash of anti-aircraft lasers and flak blanketing the heavens. Simple the Cardinal Sun was, but foolish they were not. They knew the need for modern weapons. Kursed turned her eyes skyward as she watched aquamarine lasers trace across the sky. Arcs of energy blasted transports, fighters, and bombers alike sending their crews to their doom. Few would be lucky to eject, even fewer to survive their capture.

 _Why?! Why are they doing this?!_

A sudden rush of wind and screaming engines flew overhead; the scent of burning fuel and metal flooded her nose. One of the enemy transports was engulfed in flames as it flew low with soldiers desperately bailing out the sides as they tried to escape. The pilot was no doubt fighting gravity to keep it up in the air long enough to save his colleagues. An M'ntrean landed next to her position in a roll and stood straight up in full combat armor, blaster rifle in hand. His head scanning for threats until it landed right on her. She recognized their clan symbol, a horrific lizard that spiraled inward, almost as if devouring itself with all manner of iconography from the ancient tongue etched in.

Kursed did not think twice as her staff came about and the head opened. A heavy thump echoed from the end as the tip discharged a blast of errant red flame that caught the trooper square in the chest. The searing heat melted through his armor and chest violently. The soldier emitted a scream of agony before it was cut short with his death. A massive explosion rocked the ground beneath the vixens feet, making her unsteady for a small moment, it had likely been the transport from earlier hitting the ground. It mattered little to her at that moment. The young Kursed stood over her first kill with fear and rage in her heart. At that moment, she knew what it was to hate. It was like an infection, worming its way to her very heart as her home burned down around her. Kursed witnessed her kinsmen dying and fighting in the streets as it gnawed at her soul. She could do nothing to save them, for she was a child at the time. Powerless and without experience. She promised that day that she would kill every M'ntrean she found for what they took from her, how they robbed her people of their lives and all they had worked for.

They had fought and bled against Andross's invasion harder than anyone else. For their service, The Cardinal Sun clan were elevated to prominence. Rumors had even begun to circulate of her clan becoming part of the nobility! The outright contempt Kursed felt in that moment for their enemies resulted in her in kicking the body of her fallen foe. Enmity raged in her normally tender and kind eyes as she attempted to find others who dared to harm her family and destroy her home. Her search would end as her name was called by a tender familiar voice. A voice that cut through the red haze that filled her eyes.

"Krystal!" Came the tone of her mother who stood side by side with her father and their honor guard.

Eight elite Cardinal Sun troops in full regalia guarded their leaders. The splendid warriors slew any enemy that dared to come close. Each soldier stood in custom fitted armor male and female alike in ghost white plates with masks that were handcrafted to look like vulpine skulls. To complete their appearance; a blue cloak with the white symbol of their clan was embroidered in gold along the edges. It granted them a majestic yet haunting appearance as the cloaks rippled in the wind with their feet surrounded by bodies of their foes. Held in their gauntlets were brilliant gold and blue ancestral spears. The weapons similar in function of her own staff; razor sharp and capable of penetrating armor or discharging various types of energies to debilitate or outright slay their foe. Each trooper stood resolutely and determined as war raged all around them.

The vixen who called to her was similar to herself but far more filled out from her matronly years. She was almost a splitting image of Kursed. To her side was a male, Lord Brogan; her father. His fur a lighter blue than that of her mothers; however, he had fierce violet eyes that were filled with hatred at the treachery they now endured. Both her parents were fitted with their battle armor from the days of service in the military. Her father wielded a powerful longsword, one of the most ancient in Cerinian history. Sylvara, her mother; wielded a staff that was almost identical to Kurseds but instead of an azure gem, it bore a silver one in its alcove.

The young Kursed made her way over to her parents and their guards. Her mother wasted no time at all and delivered her orders to Kursed. The younger vixen had heard it a thousand times before. It was like a play now, rehearsed and executed flawlessly.

"Krystal, you must make for the spaceport." The vixen spoke quietly as she placed her paws on either side of her daughter's shoulders.

"What?! I mean to stay and fight with you and father!"

The elder vixen shook her head. "No my child, this is a war we cannot win… we have been betrayed by our allies; you must go. You must survive and you will not be going alone. We are sending others away with you. I promise you. One day you will return and take vengeance upon those who have wronged us." The azure hues of her mother were rife with sorrow. She bore the look of defeat in her eyes which told Kursed all she needed to know. They had lost already and this was just a desperate defense to buy time.

"Leftenant Calfice," came the rumbling voice of her father, filled to the brim with determination and authority.

The youngest of his honor guard stepped forward and saluted. "My Lord."

Her father sized up the man carefully before nodding to the young soldier. "You will escort my daughter to the spaceport. With you and select others lie our salvation. Gods willing, you will return one day and take back what is ours or burn it to the ground."

The soldier did not rebuke his lord and promptly saluted upon his golden plated chest armor. A balled fist that hit with enough force it would have knocked a man on his back. "Yes, my Lord!" His gaze turned to the young vixen of only sixteen years of age.

"Lady Krystal, we must go."

The male in question was completely covered, even his face was veiled beneath that ferocious war helm, a canine with teeth bared. Only his eyes visible through the vision slits, gorgeous sky blue hues glared at her in equal measures of purpose and despair.

With great pain in her heart, Kursed nodded her head… she knew how the day ended. The pair of them along with many others would evacuate the village that day. She peered over the back of a cart pulled by a pair of beasts and each time she did, it broke her heart. A once proud home was being torn down brick by brick, the clan's manor being blasted into dust and ruin. Over the carnage, she could hear her father and mothers cries upon the wind as they stood their ground against overwhelming force…

"Fight on brothers and sisters! For our home! Make the bastards pay in blood! Their corpses will fertilize the land for years to come!"

Kursed's eyes turned forward to the road ahead with tears in them only to fly open as a bomber screamed overhead and launched its ordinance at the refugees.

"Incom-"

Kursed sat bolt upright and yelled in terror as her body was covered in cold sweat, her chest heaving from the night terror with her eyes refusing to close. The vixen hyperventilated as she tried to get herself under control. Kursed did everything she could to bring herself back to some semblance of sanity. Even going so far as to chant to herself over and over that it was nothing but a dream; that she was reliving a nightmare. Several minutes would pass before her heart finally settled and she began to examine the medbay. Fox was still asleep and likely would be for several more hours. That would still give Kursed time to rest if she risked it.

The azure vixen could not help but wonder more about the man called a hero in an alien system. Kursed often thought about if she had stayed against her mother and father's wishes; would she have been able to turn the tide just as Fox had against Andross?

 _One man against an empire with an incompetent army behind him… What drives someone such as him?_

She had little time to think as once more she lay back against the wall and her eyes closed. Once more succumbing to her exhaustion.


End file.
